Scant Aid and No Alternative Housing in Jableh a Year After the Earthquake

Despite numerous official announcements claiming that permanent or temporary prefabricated homes are nearing completion, and rumours about some of these homes being handed over, many of those affected by the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Jableh, in the Lattakia governorate, remain pessimistic about receiving their homes or even any monetary compensation.

The quake led to the collapse of more than 100 buildings in the coastal governorate of Lattakia, including several in the city of Jableh, particularly in the neighbourhoods of Al-Faydh, Al-Rumailah, and Al-Ghazalat, and in the rural areas of Jableh, including the village of Istamo.

According to the head of the Jableh City Council, quoted in an  Athr Press article on March 9, 2023, 19 building blocks collapsed due to the earthquake, and safety committees found 10 severely damaged buildings that needed to be demolished. These buildings were later demolished by the city’s council teams.

In April 2023, the head of the UAE Red Crescent delegation confirmed that the UAE would build 1,000 prefabricated housing units for those affected by the earthquake in the Lattakia Governorate, across seven sites, three of which are in the city of Jableh, in the neighbourhoods of Al-Naqah, Al-Fuwar, and Al-Faydh.

In mid-May 2023, the Governor of Lattakia confirmed that preparations were underway to build two buildings in Jableh as part of government housing projects for those affected by the earthquake, each building comprising 10 floors. According to official media, two buildings are under construction in Jableh in the neighbourhoods of Al-Naqah and Al-Ghazalat, containing 80 apartments, each 100 square metres in size.

An engineer from the Jableh Municipality and a member of the public safety committees told The Syria Report that the alternative housing project is underway, but is suffering from severe delays due to “corruption.” The engineer declined to elaborate but indicated that these buildings, whether temporary or permanent, should have been handed over to the earthquake victims long ago. He added that progress is no more than 25 percent complete at some sites.

Aside from the alternative housing, a correspondent for The Syria Report in the area pointed out that many of those affected in Jableh have neither heard about nor received any form of financial compensation. This includes neither the tax exemptions granted to earthquake victims under Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2023, nor any support from the National Fund for Earthquake Victims, established under Legislative Decree No. 7 of 2023 to provide financial assistance to help them overcome the physical, material, or emotional damage they suffered.

Ali, a man in his fifties, refused to leave his building, which was severely damaged. In 2023, the public safety committee deemed the building at risk of collapse and was on the verge of evacuating the residents, sealing it with red wax, and issuing a demolition order. However, Ali, who had nowhere else to go, quickly bribed a committee member with SYP 3 million to avoid the demolition. The committee member advised Ali to carry out the repairs at his own expense and then submit the documents proving the repairs to the Jableh Municipality, along with signatures from engineers in the Lattakia Engineers Syndicate, to receive compensation. Ali repaired the house and repeatedly visited Jableh Municipality and Lattakia Governorate to obtain financial compensation for the repair costs, but to no avail.

Ali’s neighbour recently received a message from the Greek Orthodox Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development at the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, informing him that he would receive a one-time assistance of SYP 3 million. This assistance is provided to those affected who left their damaged homes or to cover minor repair costs. When Ali inquired with the Department of Ecumenical Relations, they told him that all those registered as affected at the municipality would receive this assistance, according to alphabetical lists of names drawn up by the Lattakia governorate. Ali, and many others interviewed by The Syria Report, are unaware of the connection between the Lattakia governorate and the Department of Ecumenical Relations in providing this financial aid to earthquake victims.

On the other hand, the official media continues to refer to a government financial support for the affected, through the “Cash” programme, which is intended to provide rent allowances to owners of collapsed properties, amounting to SYP 3.15 million, as a one-time payment. According to official statements, the budget allocated for this aid is SYP 68 billion. The source of these funds is unclear, but according to official media, they come from unnamed international and local organisations and are intended as rent allowances for those who chose not to move into temporary shelters.

But even this aid is not accessible to everyone. For example, despite repeatedly visiting the Jableh Municipality, Maha, a widow living in rural Jableh, has been unable to obtain any information from the staff that would help her secure financial compensation to repair her home, which sustained moderate damage during the earthquake. The public safety committee that inspected her house determined it needed repairs. Maha is in severe financial distress, responsible for a large family, and relies solely on a pension. She points out that some of her neighbours received rental allowances last winter from the Department of Ecumenical Relations, despite none of their homes having collapsed. When Maha approached the Department of Ecumenical Relations, they told her she needed to contact the Lattakia governorate to have her name added to the list of earthquake victims.

Umm Salam, an elderly woman, lost several family members when their home collapsed in the city of Jableh, and she has yet to receive any compensation. She turned to NGOs and she received some basic material and financial aid. An expatriate donated enough to cover her rent for six months. Umm Salam told The Syria Report’s correspondent that she had submitted all the necessary documents to both official bodies and NGOs after the earthquake. She keeps reminding the staff at Jableh municipality of her situation to ensure her name is on the list of affected individuals. To this day, Umm Salam does not know if she will receive alternative housing, whether temporary or permanent, or where it might be located.